Ethical Consumer Perceived Value in Sustaining Recycling Behaviour

Recycling has imparted meaningful experience and perceived value from individual’s recycling activities. Consumer perceived value (CPV) is important in defining consumers’ experience that connects with one’s goals, inclinations and mental models; perceived valuable and beneficial, thus motivate sustainable behavior. This study sought to understand how ethical consumer perceived value (ECPV) influences the sustaining of recycling behavior. Nine interviews were conducted at The Federal Territory of Putrajaya for this interpretive study. It identifies two taxonomies of ethical perceived value (EPV) in individual’s sustainable recycling experience. First, ethically desirable value (EDV) taxonomy (six drivers), second, spiritual/religious value taxonomy (three drivers). This paper concludes with the value-map taxonomy of ECPV on Recycling to guide in mapping a strategic social marketing practice in Malaysia’s government policy to motivate good social conduct among individual and society.


Introduction
Recycling activities have been referred as important mechanisms in curbing solid waste problems by incorporating 3R concept 'reduce, reuse and recycle'. Recycling behaviour studies have traditionally been focused on inducing behavioural change among individuals (Osbaldiston and Schott, 2012;Bamberg and Moser, 2007, Halvorsen, 2012, Tang et. al, 2011. There are significant empirical evidences correlating recycling behaviors with altruistic values on the environment (Stern and Dietz, 1994;Stern, 2000Stern, , 2005Dietz, 2005;Schultz and Zelezny, 1999;Shultz, 2001;Thompson and Barton, 1994;Nordlund and Garvill, 2002;Chawla, 1999;Milfont andDuckit, 2010, Saphores et. al, 2012). Altruistic values emphasize on feeling of concern and civic duty to other people, which triggers one's responsibility to protect the environment. Altruistic values are arrayed from the perspective of personal moral norms in motivating and influencing individual's engagement for environmental behaviour (Prestin and Pearce 2010;Saphores et al. 2012;Guerin et al. 2001;Tang et al. 2010;Barr, 2007;Torgler et al. 2008).
Although recycling behaviour studies have successfully explained on altruistic values in inducing recycling behaviour, mostly are from western societies. Therefore, exploration from local perspective is needed, specifically, among Muslims in Putrajaya, Malaysia. As emphasized by Stern and Dietz (1994) "value orientations are not mutually exclusive; that individuals may hold several orientations to some degree; and that value orientations may vary across individuals, social-structural groups, and cultures". Additionally, there is limited exploration on ethical values from spiritual and religious perspective. In Islam, religion is 'a way of life' and inseparable from human's day-to-day life. Human's role as 'Khalifah' obliged them to serve their responsibility and relationship to Allah and other mankind. Therefore, mankind holds trusteeship (amanah) on the blessed of nature by Allah. The trusteeship on nature imposed a moral responsibility in every human to maintain good care and do no harm (al zarar) to the environment, to act in moderation and be accountable for any action that may invite destruction of nature (Ozdemir, 2003;Khalid, 2002;Ahmad, 2009;Baharuddin, 2012;Mortazavi, 2004). What is given should be preserved and inherited. Furthermore, Islam forbids extravagance. Although, there are isolated attempts made to explore the association of religious beliefs with recycling behaviour (Mohamad et. al, 2011(Mohamad et. al, , 2012 Mashitoh 2009), little is known about how religious element is interpreted in individuals' recycling experience in the Asian context.

Conceptual Perspectives
Sustainable recycling behaviour will be realized through what consumer perceived as satisfying recycling experience (SRE). Therefore, SRE marks the importance of designing effective interventions, consistent with what consumers perceive as valuable and beneficial.
CPV is originated from marketing principles and derived from interaction between consumers and their experiences from participating in recycling intervention program by Perbadanan Putrajaya. The interaction between subject (recyclers) and object (incentivebased recycling experience) will induce what recyclers perceived as valuable or beneficial. It depends on their preference of pro and contra in CPV and it varies between individual. CPV is believed to be an important tool to motivate sustainable recycling behaviour.
Holbrook (1999,2006) defined CPV as "an interactive relativistic preference experience" that is intimately interrelated, but "independent or mutually exclusive". CPV is further defined as "an outcome of evaluative judgement" that involves an interaction between consumer (subject) and products, services, social services or other experiences(objects).
Based on that, recyclers' interaction with their experiences are expected to generate a perceived value that is cognitive (extrinsic) and affective (intrinsic) and the value is either oriented towards self, other human or non-human. The extrinsic value refers to external, tangible, utilitarian and functional benefit or value that one perceived from their experience (Holbrook, 1999;Woodall, 2003;Ziethaml, 1988). Meanwhile, intrinsic value is the perceived internal appreciation "appreciated as an end in itself" for the experience. CPV emphasized the process of exchange toward a directed goal, that is a "trade-off of salient give and get components" (Ziethaml, 1988). "Consumer value involves a trade-off between what consumer receives and what she gives" (Woodruff, 1997), and the elements of "benefits and sacrifices" (Woodall, 2003). In contrast, values as explained by Rokeach (1973) is a desirable end goal "terminal value" that humans aim to achieve through the means and guidelines "instrumental values" for achieving the goals. According to Schwarts (2012), 'values' are beliefs, desirable goals, which transcend specific actions and situations. Therefore, the relative importance of human values guided actions and applied as a basis of individual's preferential judgement and perceived value. Holbrook (1999) presented typologies of consumer value, a more diverse and complex axiological concept or perceived value. Consistent with Holbrook's typologies, recycling experience is predicted to generate multi-dimensional recycling perceived value; which is organized within two key distinctions of intrinsic and extrinsic, and self-oriented and others-oriented. Although, Holbrook's (1999;2006)  EPV is defined from i) ethical wisdom results from virtue, justice and morality; ii) spiritual value relates to faith, ecstasy, sacredness and magic (Holbrook, 1996(Holbrook, , 1999(Holbrook, , 2006. EPV emerged from the experience 'self justifying and end in itself'. The experience generates ethical sense of satisfaction through the feelings of concern, devotion or spiritual ecstasy. Besides Holbrook, Sheth et. al (1991) coined the term 'emotional value' which associated to a broader perspective of emotions, that is intrinsic or aesthetic in nature. 'Ethical' perspective falls under 'emotional value' in Sheth et.
al 's (1991) concept of CPV of consumption experience.
The gap between ECPV and altruistic environmental values leads the exploration of individual recycling behaviours from 'inside-out' marketing perspective, particularly in discovering recycler's EPV from their direct involvement and experience in recycling programs. Understanding recycler's EPV would help to explain the elements that satisfy and sustain recycling behaviour and is parallel with the importance of social marketing in promoting sustainable behaviour. The ultimate aim is to design interventions; thus, induces satisfying perceived value, which promotes continuous commitment and action toward sustainable behaviour (De Young, 2011, 2013.
The figure below represents a theoretical model on how ECPV is derived from recycling experience in Putrajaya: Evidently, ECPV is influencing social marketers' understanding to motivate and sustain social change. The failure to understand CPV, results in financial waste and indirectly dampen the ultimate aim.

Grand Research Question
What are the ethical perceived values that influence sustainable recycling behaviour?

Study Objective
The objective of this study is to understand a recycler's experience in translating their EPV into a sustainable recycling behaviour.

Guiding Questions
The guiding questions for this study are:

Study Area -Putrajaya
In 2004, Putrajaya jump-started a recycling project for a recycling national model and aimed for sustainable environment. The pilot project was launched (as shown in Figure   2) and offers three types of programs. First is 'waste wise' program for recycling activities in industrial, commercial areas and government offices around Putrajaya territory. Second is community program which involves Buy Back Centre (BBC) at Precint 8 and 9; curbside recycling and cage recycling. Third is designed for kindergarten, primary and secondary schools in Putrajaya.

Methods
This study focused on BBC recycling programs. Informants (all Muslims) were purposely selected among recyclers at BBC, Precint 9, Putrajaya. The semi-structured interview was adopted and took forty minutes to one hour. The content is based on the guidelines below: -Describe one situation about recycling that you like most.
-Describe a situation which you dislike.
5. What would be the most important motivation for you to continue doing your recycling activities?
6. What do you think are the challenges that would prevent you from recycling?
7. Could you describe the experience that triggers you to pursue recycling as your new behaviour and continue making it as your routine/compulsory activity? (Avid recyclers) 8. Some people would say that recycling has got very little impact on environment. Do you agree?*** 9. Do you find your religious belief to be associated with your recycling activities?*** *** Additional probing question -If necessary During the interview, respondents explained on their recycling experience. Next, they were asked several specific questions and were probed to elicit better understanding. All interviews were transcribed verbatim. 9 interviews were conducted and selected. Their basic demographic information and years of recycling experience are shown in Table 1 below.  R1 -When we look at the cleaners or garbage men, we should be more sensitive. We should help them indirectly, to reduce their burden.
R9 -My mom always told me to respect the street cleaners. She always got angry when I litter. "Poor the street cleaners, they are so unfortunate.
We inconvenience them due to our irresponsibility", she said. That's my mom. Maybe that's also how I teach my children.
Besides the care for others, empathy is also shared through recycler's charitable behaviours. Informant 1, 2 and 8 shared their experiences in donating old clothes and collecting money for charity.
R1 -Most of the clothes that we sent to recycling centre could be re-sell and re-use. We indirectly help those who can't afford to purchase expensive items.
R1 -Normally, before Hari Raya I'll bring back old clothes to the village. I collect them from friends, and my mom will distribute them to the needy.
We've been doing this for a long time, since I was a kid. Now we're living in KL, we still continue bringing back old clothes and distributing them to surau and other places.
R2 -We have a recycling corner in our office. Half of the money is distributed to our colleague. He is a leukemia patient. Sometimes, our earnings are not enough, and this is one way to help others.
R8 -The money received from recycling could be shared with the poor.
We can donate it to orphans. This could help us to sustain our charitable efforts. Therefore, our effort will not go in vain.
Secondly, EDV is expressed through the care and concern for future generations. Present recycling behaviours are part of activities to instill positive values among younger generations. Informant 1 expressed his concern and justified the importance of recycling in nurturing good behavior in the future generations.
R1 -We recycle for our future generations. It's about instilling positive values in our children. When they are at school, they will share these values with their friends.
Besides concern for future generations, recycling reduces one's guilt for hurting nature.
Informant 4 and 6 expressed their concern of how their behaviour could affect the environment. The guilt induces their positive behaviour toward the environment.
R4-Here, I could recycle my cooking oil. Rather than throwing it away and affect our environment, we could recycle it and preserve the environment. It's a new source of energy.
R6 -I prefer clean, healthy and beautiful environment. If we don't make an effort to recycle and keep producing new (product), consume and produce again, in the end we are going to have mountains of waste. Our beautiful nature will be a nature full of waste, which in the end threatens our environment.
The study also found that informants 2,3,5 and 6 considered the actions to protect the R4 -I only reuse cooking oil for maximum of 3 times. It's unhealthy to reuse it for many times. It could cause cancer. You know, the broken molecules. We want to serve only the best and healthy food to our children. They are the ones who like to eat fried food. Everything starts from there.

Spiritual Value (SV) Taxonomy
Apart from role as a Khalifah, informant 7 also appreciated the aesthetic value of nature and saw environment as gifts by Allah.
R7 -As I told you earlier, I'm a farmer, I would think differently. For example, when I look at the clouds, to you they're merely clouds, but to me they're more than clouds, they're a source of water. At least we are amazed with one of the wonders of God. How clouds transport water?
Like us, we use water tank and transport it from one place to another. But Allah just needs to create clouds! These clouds are dispensers. Map 2 summarizes the reflection of Islamic religious role. However, the study suggested that Islamic religious role is not translated as the mutual perceived value appreciated by all informants. Although Putrajaya is dominated by Muslims, the connection of Islam and environmental behaviour is still minimally understood. As shared by informants 7 and 8: R7 -I also don't know why, the more we understand religion (relates to preservation of the environment), we became even worst. It's just not working! I mean, the way we act, we didn't actually practice our religion.
We just understand it on the surface. We still lack the akhlak (ethical behaviour).
R8 -If we compare with Japan, it's a clean country. They have all the systems and techniques in making their country clean. We Muslims, we didn't even separate our organic wastes. We dump everything, food, papers and plastic together. In Japan, they separated everything, it's clean.
They are practicing something that we as a Muslim suppose to perform.
Arab countries, for instance at their hotels, they throw away food, a lot of wasteful behaviours. The message just doesn't reach the Muslims. We are still clueless about our own religion.
Additionally, when informants 2 and 3 were probed on religion role in their recycling behaviour, both agreed that Islamic religious practice offers limited connection in recycling behaviour. Informat 2 and 3 shared their views: R3 -It is not about religion. It's about an attitude. Sometimes when they are at home, they know the rules, they don't litter. But when they are outside, they throw rubbish wherever they wish! Rubbish from the car is easily thrown out. It's about an attitude. At school, everybody is taught about civic consciousness. It was taught when we were kids. Look at westerners, they are not Muslim, but they practice recycling. It (recycling) doesn't have connection with religion.
R3 -I think recycling doesn't have connection with religious beliefs.
Every religion does not favour wasteful behaviours. environment are seen as part of Islam.. Fundamental understanding and cultivation of positive core values are required to create the awareness. Programs and communication messages designed to motivate recycling behaviour should emphasize common elements to the society. Thus, there have been limited attempts that explore ECPV from social marketing context, particularly on social participation and recycling experience. The affection and cognition cues defined from ECPV is hoped to relay a more accurate perspective about the consumer segment in Putrajaya.